Voice message systems, also known as voice mail systems, have become common modes of communication amongst business persons and consumers alike. If a connection from a caller to a subscriber of a voice mail system is not completed, the call is forwarded to the voice mail system wherein the caller may leave a voice message in a "mailbox" having an address corresponding to the telephone number called. Subscribers, however, typically have two mailboxes; one for their wireless handset and one for their wireline telephone.
When a caller calls a telephone number associated with the subscriber's wireline telephone and is unable to be connected to the subscriber, the caller may leave a voice message for the subscriber. At this time, the service provider servicing the wireline telephone provides an indication to the subscriber that he/she has a voice message in their wireline mailbox. Similarly, when a caller calls a telephone number associated with the subscriber's wireless telephone and is unable to be connected to the subscriber, the caller may leave a voice message for the subscriber which is stored in the wireless mailbox. The wireless service provider then provides the subscriber with a separate indication, different from the wireline indication, that he/she has a voice message in their wireless mailbox.
In order to retrieve messages left in either mailbox, the subscriber must access each mailbox separately. That is, the subscriber must dial a wireline access number to retrieve messages associated with his/her wireline telephone as well as a wireless access number in order to retrieve messages associated with his/her wireless handset. This is timely and inefficient.
Thus, there exists a need for allowing a subscriber to efficiently retrieve voice messages associated with either his/her wireline telephone or wireless handset.